Page 116 of Holiday Romance
Everyone is wearing some sort of Christmas hat now, including me. And while a week ago, I wouldn’t have been caught dead in it, I kind of love how ridiculous everyone looks.
Sean clears his throat, standing in front of the fireplace as he holds up a battered DVD case. “Field of Dreamsis a—”
The family groans around me, cutting him off.
“We watched that last year,” Hannah moans. “Mam!”
Colleen shrugs as she helps herself to more chocolate. Now that the dinner is out of the way she’s much more relaxed and looks ready to finally settle down for the night. Every few minutes I notice her watching us all and smiling like she can’t believe all her children are home, as though nothing has ever made her happier.
Sean continues bravely on. “A classic film about family and—”
“At least it’s notApocalypse Now,” Christian mutters.
“Why don’t we watchSleepless in Seattle?” Hannah suggests hopefully.
Andrew says nothing, observing the room with a small smile on his lips as he plays with a lock of my hair.
“Let Molly decide,” Colleen says after another minute of arguing. “She’s the guest.”
“Um…” I try to straighten from Andrew’s side as everyone turns to me, but he doesn’t budge, his arm keeping me locked against him.
Hannah looks at me pleadingly.
“I kind of likeField of Dreams,” I say.
Sean beams as Hannah boos me, but, despite the grumblings, the room goes quiet when the movie is on, even if Hannah spends half of it on her phone until Christian plucks it from her hands and slides it into his back pocket. A brief wrestling match occurs before Colleen tears them apart and then they have to put their phones in the kitchen drawer for the rest of the night.
When it’s finished, Colleen switches over to catch the last half ofMy Fair Ladyon television. By the timethat’sdone it’s nearing midnight and Christmas Day is officially over. Andrew’s parents excuse themselves first, and after another ten minutes, Christian stretches exaggeratedly as he catches Andrew’s eye.
“Well,” he yawns. “I’m wrecked. I’ll see you guys in the morning.” He gives Hannah a pointed look and pushes himself off the floor, heading to the stairs.
Hannah doesn’t budge. Not until he comes back into the room and pinches the top of her ear, giving a sharp tug.
“Ow.Okay!” She bats him away as she follows him out, grumbling a goodnight.
And just like that we’re alone again. I lift my head, finding Andrew watching me. He looks good like that, bathed in the glow from the Christmas lights, tired, but sated as he curls a lock of my hair around his finger.
“You sleepy?” he asks.
“Not yet,” I say truthfully. “Your family are really nice.”
“I’m glad they got to meet you.” He tugs my hair. “Want your Christmas present now?”
“Yes.”
He laughs as he pushes me off him and drops to his knees by the tree. There are still a few presents wrapped underneath, which Andrew said were for the various wider family members who would drop in over the next few days. I don’t think much of it until he returns to the couch with a round object, wrapped in purple tissue paper.
“Close your eyes,” he says, and I do. A second later he drops something into my hands. The heavy weight of it catches me by surprise, and I make quick work unwrapping it as he sits back down beside me.
It’s a snow globe.
But not the kind you see in airport gift shops, the cheap plastic things you’re more likely to lose than keep. This one is big, like a paperweight, its base a heavy dark wood that takes up my whole hand. Inside there isn’t a snowman or a miniature house, but a plane suspended in the night sky, its little windows a warm yellow.
“It’s us?” I ask, not taking my eyes off it.
“It’s us.”
I turn it gently in my hands, running my fingers over the glass. “I don’t have any Christmas decorations.”
